


petals soft forever

by SatyrSyd37



Series: roots that twine together [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Historical, Dragons, Edo Period, Established Relationship, M/M, Mushishi-esque, Nature Magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 13:17:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13682469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SatyrSyd37/pseuds/SatyrSyd37
Summary: On their journey through ancient Japan's countryside, Akaashi and Bokuto make an unexpected friend.





	petals soft forever

**Author's Note:**

> for [Tala](http://tala-art.tumblr.com/) for the bokuaka gift exchange!
> 
> this is a sequel to another fic i wrote, but this can be read as a stand-alone. the prompt you asked for, fantasy/ancient japan au, went along perfectly with this universe! enjoy, and have a wonderful valentines day!

Akaashi never gets tired of watching this.

Bokuto spreads both his hands over the dry dirt ground. He closes his eyes, and his thick fingers curl into fist. Out from the ground pops a tiny green sapling that grows and grows, sprouting tiny leaves as its stalk shoots higher and higher. A bud emerges from the top, expanding and bulging. Within seconds, it bursts. Five bright yellow petals form the head of the buttercup. From the ground sprout more buds. They follow the pattern of the first, growing tall before bursting into bright yellow patches. The sprouts push dirt over Bokuto’s hands, which are soon smothered in leaves.

No matter how many times Akaashi watches Bokuto’s powers in action, no matter how many times he revives an ash-dead plant or uproots a field of dangerous weeds or makes a rose bloom right in Akaashi’s hand, it’s never less beautiful. If anything, ever since he started this journey with Bokuto two years ago, his admiration for his partner has grown.

Bokuto turns toward him, that blinding grin lighting up his face. “How was that, Keiji?”

_Amazing, as always._

“Adequate.”

Instead of pouting, like he used to do every time Akaashi messed with him, Bokuto smiles. He unearths his hands and puts a finger to his chin. “Let’s see, in Keiji-speak, ‘adequate’ translates to ‘oh my goodness, I am so incredibly impressed with Koutarou’s powers I’m about to _faint!’”_

“That is not what I said.”

“But that’s what you meant.”

“It’s really not.”

Bokuto pats his shoulder. “Keep telling yourself that.” His hands drifts from Akaashi’s shoulder down his arm and into his hand. He pulls Akaashi closer and whispers, “But don’t worry if you do faint - I’ll be right there to catch you.”

Akaashi pulls his hand away and pokes Bokuto in the chest. “The last time I fell, you summoned _stinging nettles_ to catch me.”

A blush blossoms across Bokuto’s cheeks. Satisfied that he’d thoroughly embarrassed Bokuto, Akaashi stalks ahead, biting his lip to ensure he doesn’t laugh.

“That was one time!” Bokuto calls after him. “It was supposed to be cattails, I promise!”

They make their way through the bamboo forest, Bokuto plotting buttercup seeds ever so often to form a path. A few of the locals had gotten lost in the long stretch of bamboo. Upon hearing about the problem, Akaashi had helped Bokuto come up with a solution. As a thank you, the villagers offered them food and a place to sleep for a few days.

Two years. He’s been traveling with Bokuto for two years, now, traveling from village to village, using Bokuto’s powers over plants to help the locals. It was a fate Bokuto had been preparing for for half his life. After coming to Akaashi’s village to learn to control his powers from their shaman, Bokuto had not only learned to control his moods that would often influence the plants around him, but he had mastered control over them. As Akaashi watched him grow, so his love for Bokuto grew too. When Bokuto had completed his training and set off to become a wanderer, Akaashi had asked to come with him.

It was the hardest decision he’d had to make. Akaashi had never left his village before. He feared what would happen to his village if he were to leave. But his love for Bokuto was stronger than his fear of leaving home, so he left. So far, he didn’t regret it.

Bokuto suddenly drops the seed in his hand. He jumps up, golden eyes flickering back and forth. “What was that?”

Akaashi looks around too, but he doesn’t see anything. “What was what?”

“That noise…”

“What n - Koutarou!”

But the man has already run off. Cursing under his breath, Akaashi follows him. It’s not hard - he’s left a trail of buttercups behind him that Akaashi is careful to step around.

He finds Bokuto after following the trail for a few minutes. He’s huddled over something at the base of a particularly thick bamboo stalk. He creeps closer and peers over Bokuto’s shoulder.

At first Akaashi thinks it’s a snake. It has a long, scaly body that’s coiled around the base of the stalk. The scales on its belly are pure white, as bright the reflection of the moon on a lake, while the scales on its back are as pale as the blue morning sky. But it has two sets of short, stubby legs, each topped with three talons the length of Akaashi’s pinky.

“Koutarou….what is that?”

Bokuto reaches toward it. A head untucks itself from the coil and starts to snarl. It’s snout is long, sprouting two whispers from its snubbed end.

“Koutarou…is that...a dragon?”

“She’s hurt.” He points to the dragon’s back, where blood drips from a long gash.

Bokuto reaches into one of the pockets sewn into the belt of his _kosode_ and pulls out a few seeds. He plants the seed, pours a splash of water from his waterskin onto it, and makes the plant grow. He crushes the leaves into a poultice and spreads it over his fingers.

The dragon’s snarling has softened to a low growl. This time Bokuto reaches his hand out palm up, allowing her to smell the substance on his fingers. The growling stops. She tucks her head against her side and shifts, as if offering the wound to Bokuto. Bokuto spreads the poultice on her back, rubbing circles into her scaly skin.

Akaashi wants to help, but his eyes keep wandering back to the sharp talons on the beast’s paws. He decides to leave this one to Bokuto.

“I didn’t know there were dragons,” Akaashi says.

“I saw one. When I was younger,” Bokuto says. “At least I thought I did. I was out fishing with my father in the ocean. I saw it swimming just below the surface of the water - I swear it! But he didn’t believe me. Told me I must have seen a shark, or something. Eventually I believed him, but...I think maybe I was right.”

When Bokuto’s satisfied, he leans back. By now, the dragon has fallen asleep.

Akaashi puts a hand on Bokuto’s shoulder. “I think we should leave her be.” If there’s one thing he’s learned from his experiences with nature, it’s to let it be. (Unless you have Bokuto by your side to make it better).

Bokuto lets out a long sigh, but then he says, “You’re probably right.” He picks himself up off the ground and dusts his hands off. “I feel bad just leaving her there…”

“She’s a dragon. She’ll probably be fine.”

But Akaashi feels a little bad leaving to creature there, too.

 

They finish plotting the path through the bamboo right before sundown, and decide to set up camp on the edge of the forest, and return to the village in the morning. They settle between the roots of a big oak tree and curl around each other like they’ve done a hundred times before. It shouldn’t be comfortable, but with Bokuto as his pillow, it feels almost nice.

The next day, Akaashi awakes to a face full of dragon.

It’s the dragon from yesterday, sniffing his nose. Its whiskers tickle his cheeks.

Akaashi leaps back, smacking into Bokuto. Bokuto yelps and snaps up. “Wha? What - ”

The moment the dragon sees Bokuto, it scrambles over Akaashi’s lap and leaps into Bokuto’s lap. It starts nuzzling against Bokuto’s chest, letting out a low rumble that isn’t nearly as scary as yesterday’s growling.

“Looks like she likes you,” Akaashi says.

Bokuto’s shoulders tense. _I shouldn’t have said that._ He knows exactly what’s going to happen the moment before it does.

Boktuo whips around, eyes wide. “Can we keep her Keiji? Please please please?” he pleads.

“Koutarou - ”

“Wouldn’t it be cool to have a dragon companion? She can travel around with us, watch out for us, and we can watch out for her and make sure she’s safe. Maybe she can teach me more about my abilities! C’mon, you said it yourself - she likes me!”

_Say no. Just say no._

But Akaashi had never been good at saying no to Bokuto. Plus the dragon is kind of cute.

“Fine.”

Bokuto cheers. The dragon scampers up Bokuto’s chest and curls around his shoulder. Then she looks at Akaashi, staring at him with bright yellow eyes that look almost human. She nods in his direction.

They pack up their belongings, and start their trek back to the village following the trail of buttercups, dragon dancing on Bokuto’s shoulder.

“I’m calling her Ryu.”

“You’re naming the dragon…Dragon.”

“Yup.”

“That’s an awful name.”

“Bet you can’t think of a better one.”

“Hm...how about Buttercup.”

“Argh, that is so much better!” Bokuto takes his hand and pulls him close and pecks him on the cheek. “Damn Keiji, you’re so smart. Isn’t he smart, Buttercup?”

It’s the longest time Akaashi’s been away from home. It’s the _first_ time he’s been away from home.

But that’s not really true. Bokuto is his home. The best home he’s ever had.


End file.
